Beach cleaning method

Abstract

A method of separating oil and other floatatable debris from the sand on a beach by localized flooding of the beach is disclosed. Suitable large diameter conduits are provided to introduce large quantities of water to a selected area of the beach, the water mixing with the sand and causing oil and other debris on or buried in the sand to float, and thus to rise toward the surface of the sand. A second flooding operation refloats the debris and a skimmer mechanism then removes the floating oil and other material while allowing the water to return to the beach area. The water supply is provided by means of suitable conduits carried by a truck, tractor, or other beach vehicle. In the preferred embodiment, the water required for flooding is obtained from the ocean by an extension of the supply conduits, with the forward motion of the tractor providing the required water flow through the conduits to the area to be cleaned. Alternatively, the desired water flow can be obtained by means of a low lift pump in the conduits, the pumps being hydraulically operated from the beach vehicle. The first flooding operation provides water to move the oil and other debris toward a center line, while the second provides water to refloat the material in the vicinity of the intake for the skimmer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of cleaning a beach by separating oil, oil residues and other floatable debris from the beach sand, comprising: introducing a continuous flow of water to a localized area of the beach;   supplying said flow of water at sufficiently high volume to flood the localized area of the beach and to produce a pool of water at the surface of the porous sand of the beach, said water being supplied at low velocity and low pressure so that the water in said pool flows sufficiently slowly to produce a lifting action on any buoyant materials in or on the sand within the area being flooded, thereby causing oil or residues, and other floatatable debris to rise toward the surface of the sand and to float in said pool of water, said water further being supplied under sufficiently low pressure to minimize the entrainment of said in said water;   directing said flow of water to cause oil, oil residues and other floatatable debris to collect near the center of said pool;   skimming said pool of water to remove said oil, oil residue and other floating debris together with a small quantity of water and incidental water-entrained sand from the localized area while said area is still flooded;   separating in said skimmer the floating oil, oil residues and other debris from the water and entrained sand and returning the water and entrained sand to said localized beach area; and   advancing the localized area of flooding along the beach to continuously and progressively separate oil, oil residues and other floatatable debris from the sand of the beach without removing the sand from the beach and without environmental damage to the beach.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flooding of said localized area includes a first flooding to cause flotation or oil, oil residues and other floatatable debris and movement thereof toward the center line of the advancement of said localized area, followed by a second flooding to refloat said oil, oil residues and other floatatable debris for subsequent skimming. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of separating said floating oil, oil residues and other debris includes carrying the skimmed top layer of material from said flooded localized area along an inclined perforated separator, passing water and incidentally entrained sand through said separator to said localized area, and collecting said oil, oil residues, and other debris. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying said high volume of water to a localized area of the beach includes pumping water from a body of water adjacent the beach at a low velocity and low pressure flow to produce a gently flowing pool of water in said localized area to simulate natural tidal or wave action to thereby cause a lifting and floating of bouyant materials in or on the beach. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 4, further including regulating said water flow to minimize the quantity of sand entrained in said pool of water, while producing a suspension and floating of bouyant material. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5, further including pumping said water into said localized area from opposite sides thereof, whereby floating material is moved toward the center of said pool.